To The End - Psalm 119:33
Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. - Psalm 119:33
Observe first, that this is no new prayer. Here again, the psalmist asks for the same thing that he asked for many times before: for the Lord to teach him - for the Lord to be his governor. This should be a great guiding principle to us, and the numerous times this is prayed, shows us this. It is very uncommon in the world to desire any kind of authority to loom overhead, much less the omnipotent God of the universe who knows every inkling of your heart, and determines morality. Some may say that they desire a larger government and that more government control is necessary but really what they desire is security from their rulers, while simultaneously desiring them to stay away from their moral life. We mustn’t be like them, rather, we must recognize that this prayer of the psalmist is the authenticating desire of a heart that has been changed by the Holy Spirit. This desire for God’s governance and tutelage is a signature of genuineness and is something instilled into the heart of those who truly love God by the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, after the psalmist asks to sit at God’s feet, he exclaims the only possible response to that teaching: endurance in it. Notice the words of the Apostle Peter to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). After having sat under Jesus’ ministry, being taught day after day, Peter expresses the impossibility to the contrary, “there is nowhere else that we can go, no other direction to turn, you have what no one else can give, and we believe that you are truly God.” Implicit in Peter's remarks is a desire to keep the words of eternal life until the end.
Endurance and diligence are major themes in the scriptures. They are major themes because without them, we will be quick to give in, and cut our losses. If we ever think, “this isn’t worth the trouble,” or “I didn’t sign up for this,” or “what is the point?!” we must realize that the battle has already been lost - for we have not realized what we have. These traits, however, are also not something easily acquired. They are a feature of sincere faith, a heart full of hope, and a will strong with desire for the Lord. Christian, if you have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, you have been given this will and this heart and this faith and you must avail yourself to them, lest you shrink back and your heart wander away. Be valiant and determine in your heart that you “will keep [God’s statutes] to the end,” and on that day when the end does come, you will hear “well done my good and faithful servant.”
S.D.G.
